Laying down the groundwork to progress

Holcim Philippines, Inc.

From its inception in November of 1964, Holcim Philippines, Inc. has evolved as much as the country it had helped build. As a leading provider of construction solutions for much of the Philippines’ leading builders, the company has had a hand in laying down the foundation of what makes the cityscapes of the country what it is today.

Initially incorporated as the Hi-Cement Corporation, the company merged with the Davao Union Cement Corporation and the Bacnotan Cement Corporation in 2000. With the merger, the Securities and Exchange Commission approved a change in the company’s corporate name to Union Cement Corporation.

Just two short years afterwards, Union Cement acquired the Alsons Cement Corporation, leading to another identity change and taking on the name it is known as today.

Holcim Philippines, Inc. currently employs over 1,700 employees in four plants spread across the archipelago. The company is involved in the manufacture, sale and distribution of cement, dry mix mortar products, and clinker. The company’s major plants in La Union, Bulacan, Davao City and Misamis Oriental account for an annual cement production capacity of 10 million metric tons.

Part of this success is the company’s wide reach and solid reputation.

“Holcim Philippines’ success is built on our strong customer focus, product excellence, innovative solutions and sustainability commitments and performance, and responsible corporate citizenship. These have allowed us to continuously fulfill our commitments to our customers and have a positive impact on development in our country and stewardship for our planet,” Holcim told ����ý.

“Our construction solutions are bannered by our cement offerings. Over the year, we have continued to advocate the benefits of using the right cement for the right applications for better performance and cost effectiveness. For example, our general purpose cement Excel is ideal for structural applications while our masonry cement WallRight is best used for finishing and plastering. Builders who use these for their specific applications are able to realize savings and have better performance,” Holcim said.

Given its long history of evolution and innovation, progress plays a key role in Holcim’s business. The company employs state-of-the-art technologies in its ready mix concrete operations in Taguig and Parañaque. As a member of the global building materials leader LafargeHolcim Group, it also has access to its rich resources of world-tested technical expertise and solutions portfolio, allowing Holcim to introduce innovative building solutions in the country.

“An example is our SuperFastCrete (SF-Crete), a type of concrete that hardens and develops strength in less than 24 hours which is ideal for quick road repairs in urban areas. This building solution was accredited by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and has been used in repairing sections of EDSA and C5 during the Holy Week break this year and 2016. It is a part of our portfolio of road solutions that we are rolling out in the country that can help local builders complete their projects faster and within budget,” Holcim said.

It is in the name of progress that the company also proved its commitment to the highest standards of sustainable operations and manufacturing excellence, with its plants certified under ISO 14001:2004 (Environmental Management System), ISO 9001:2008 (Quality Management System) and OHSAS 18001:2007 (Occupational Health and Safety Management System).

“Holcim Philippines’ commitment to sustainability is another differentiator that has allowed us to make a positive impact in our communities and take good care of the environment. Holcim Philippines along with the rest of the LafargeHolcim Group has set ambitious quantitative targets, through the Group’s 2030 Plan, its strategy for sustainability that is a major strategic pillar,” Holcim said.

It added: “The LafargeHolcim’s 2030 Plan will contribute to 14 of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. By 2030, we have developed action plans and integrated programs in four major areas: climate, circular economy, water and nature, and people and communities. It carries out the vision of LafargeHolcim that the construction sector of tomorrow will be innovative, climate-neutral and circular in its use of resources, and respectful of water and nature.”

Towards that vision, Holcim is laying down the groundwork for the Philippines’ ascent towards global recognition on the economic stage. To support the government and the Philippine construction industry’s efforts to improve the country’s infrastructure, the company pledged to raise its production capacity to 12 million metric tons by 2019.

“While raising our cement production capacity, Holcim Philippines is introducing more innovative, globally proven building solutions and services to help the country build faster, cost effectively and sustainably,” Holcim stated. — Bjorn Biel M. Beltran